The fourth race of the day, The Zelda Cup (Class III, 1600m for horses rated 41–66, with those rated 21–46 also eligible), lit up the Calcutta Winter Meeting on Friday, 23rd January 2026, with Mindful (J: Suraj Narredu, T: Deepesh Narredu) producing a commanding performance to claim victory in 1:36.280. Racing in the colours of Mrs B.E. Saldanha, Mr Teja Gollapudi, Mr Harshad Anil Kale, M/s Stride Livestock Pvt Ltd & Zam Zam Enterprises, Anil Saraf, and Deepesh Narredu, Mindful delivered a polished display that made the Kolkata race result 23 January one to remember for connections and racing fans alike.
Breaking sharply from the gates, Mindful settled mid-pack before making a well-timed move approaching the home turn. Guided expertly by Suraj Narredu, the winner showed a decisive turn of foot in the final 300 metres, overtaking rivals with authority and maintaining a smooth, balanced stride to cross the line comfortably ahead. The colt’s tactical versatility and finishing speed proved too strong for the rest of the field, cementing a memorable victory for trainer Deepesh Narredu.
Cigar Galaxy (J: Mukesh Kumar, T: Aashay Doctor) finished strongly to secure second place in 1:36.738, staying close to the leader for much of the straight. Victorious Omen (J: Imran Chisty, T: S. Waheed) closed well to take third in 1:37.329, ensuring the podium spots were decided by narrow margins in an exciting contest.
With The Zelda Cup concluded, attention now shifts to The Albert Piperno Memorial Cup, scheduled for 03:30 PM, promising another thrilling test of speed and strategy in the day’s programme.
Stay tuned to RaceBuzz as the Kolkata Winter Meeting action continues.